A baker and the owner of a cake shop outside of Denver, Colo., who denied to make a gay couple a wedding cake, is now defending his actions after being in the media spotlight, CBS News reported.

Last week, EDGE reported that Jack Phillips, the owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop in Lakewood, Col., refused to create David Mullins, 28, and his partner Charlie Craig, 31, a wedding cake because he does not support same-sex marriage.

Philips told CBS News that he accepts LGBT employees and customers but does not back gay marriage and would rather shut down his business than sell his wedding cakes to a same-sex couple.

"If it came to that point, we would close down the bakery before we would compromise our beliefs, so that may be what it comes to," Phillips said. "We'll see. If gays come in and want to order birthday cakes or any cakes for any occasion, graduations, or whatever, I have no prejudice against that whatsoever. It's just the wedding cake -- not the people, not their lifestyle."

Calling himself "a follower of Jesus Christ," he told Fox affiliate KDVR that he believes the Bible teaches that homosexuality "is not an OK thing." According to KDVR, Phillips, who started his bakery in 1993, has denied about six gay couples wedding cakes.

Mullins and Craig wanted a rainbow-layered cake with teal frosting for their wedding reception, which will be held in Denver. The couple plans to get married in Provincetown, Mass.

"It was the most awkward, surreal, very brief encounter," Mullins told Denver Westword. "We got up to leave, and to be totally honest, I said, 'Fuck you and your homophobic cake shop.' And I may or may not have flipped him off."

Mullins reportedly ranted about the incident on Facebook, which caused several news outlets to pick up the story. A Facebook page called "Boycott Masterpiece Cakeshop" was created and currently has nearly 500 members. The Denver Business Journal reported that gay rights activists and their supporters held a protest in front of the bakery.

Despite all of the negative attention and even death threats, Phillips told KDVR that the incident has helped his generate business.

"There are people coming in to support us." He had twice as much business as usual on July 30, he added.

After being denied the wedding cake, Mullins and Craig decided to go to the "gayest cake shop we could think of," which was Le Bakery Sensual in Denver. Mullins added that he was deeply gratified by all of the support he has received from people around the world. "It's kind of one of those things that restores your faith in humanity," he said.

Although Colorado does not recognize same-sex marriage, it does have anti-discrimination laws that protect on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, public accommodations, education and credit.

Conservative Christians point to this and similar incidents where a business has comes fire for turning down gay wedding clients as a sign that anti-discriminaton laws will be used to persecute them for their beliefs.

After the website Life Site News reported the story, a reader commented, "Threats and violence are the way homosexual activists discredit their cause."

A similar incident occurred in June when a professional photographer from New Mexico had to pay to nearly $7,000 in legal for refusing to take pictures of a gay couple's commitment ceremony in 2006 and broke the state's anti-discrimination laws.

A photographer from Elane Photography would not take photos of the same-sex couple's wedding ceremony and subsequently violated New Mexico's Human Rights Act, the Associated Press reported.

Comments

gdhamf, 2012-08-02 05:20:14

str8 ppl, no impulse controll. who can figure them out?

LoveOverThis, 2012-08-02 11:08:21

See, I don like these issues. I think people who make products should not be forced to make a product they don’t support, like a same-sex wedding cake. Nor should a photographer be forced to photograph a ceremony they do not want to be a part of. There are plenty of photographers and plenty of cake makers, plenty of whom will gladly give their business.

, 2012-08-02 11:35:27

It is a difficult question. The bottom line is that someone was refused service (in this case, a cake was not baked) because they were "different". It is easy to say that businesses should be allowed to operate as they choose. At the same time, would you find it acceptable if a business refused to serve African Americans or refused to bake a cake for a couple that were of mixed races? I ask if, in fact, it is easy for one to find sympathy for the intolerant simply due to your own intolerance or prejudice. Perhaps if you were refused service for some reason for which you had absolutely no control you might feel differently . Homosexuality is not a preference, and it is not, as the store owner said in his code a "lifestyle". It is simply a fact or how people are. It is present in multiple species and is totally natural. Yet, for some, it is so scary and/or threatening they would rather sacrifice their own livelihood (as the business owner above suggested he would do) rather than accept. Doesn’t this seem awfully extreme?

Oh Jed said:, 2012-08-02 12:07:18

There is a lot of merit in both of your comments. It’s difficult to get through life with absolutely zero prejudices based on our upbringing and experiences. I’m sure we’d all agree that going to a Jewish Bakery and ordering a skinhead themed, swastika covered cake would be acceptable business to decline. Although it upsets and angers me that this would happen in our modern society... it is his right to pick and choose what type of business he will accept.... I think the final responsibility lies with us to cease giving ANY of our business to him as long as his prejudices have come to our attention. Honestly, would you really trust someone to prepare food for you if you knew they really didn’t like you? I won’t even complain to a waiter unless my meal has already been delivered.

, 2012-08-02 13:18:24

When u are in business and provide service to the public, you don’t discriminate. So if a white business owner who does like interracial marriage refuse to makea cake for the couple on that basis, that’s just wrong. If you design a cake and the customer ask you to help design a perfect cake for them, you do it. There are still too many haters masking themselves as family value people. Discrimination is never a family value. Its religious fanatic value, not family value.

, 2012-08-02 13:21:14

@Jed, a rainbow color is not the same as a swastika. If a straight couple ask for a rainbow color cake, what would you do? Its only because these two are gays, so it boils down to homophobia. So Christians who hate Jews will not bake cakes for Jewish people too? Its simply bigotry and should be shutdown.

Oh Jed said:, 2012-08-02 16:18:02

Well, in any case, I would throw my money out the window on the Interstate before I would spend a dime to support this type of people’s businesses.

Oh Jed said:, 2012-08-02 16:19:31

Forgot to add knowingly support.

puck, 2012-08-02 16:53:10

So what’s the resolution to things like this? Do we sue them or try to sue them to scare them? I myself want to know upfront if they’re antigay. I don’t want substandard food or service. I would be more appalled if I found out that they were forced and that’s why I got crap on my wedding day. Make sure you send them a picture of the two of you kissing in front of your fabulous cake!!!!Best of luck guys!!!!

, 2012-08-02 19:02:36

Reminds me of the old south when a restaurant owner said he rather close down his lunch counter than serve black people. (But he use another word).

WayGay, 2012-08-03 15:43:59

Their business is booming only because the focus right now is on Chick-Fil-A; once that does down full LGBT attention should be on small minded small businesses like the baker in this article.

Oh Jed said:, 2012-08-03 19:48:13

I hope he doesn’t totally go out of business and lose everything because he is a gaycist.

Wayne M., 2012-08-03 19:50:31

Business was booming in various businesses that refused to serve African Americans and also misused the Bible to justify segregation. LGBT people and fellow Christians who support equality need to walk from that bakery and shake the dust from their feet as they walk out. Fact is that these businesses would also refuse to serve Jesus is He were to come in.

, 2012-08-03 20:44:01

This baker is a closet-case fairy cake.

YesISaidIt!, 2012-08-07 17:12:48

I prefer people like him who make their hate public so we know where not to spend our money. I like knowing what hate looks like.

, 2012-08-22 08:57:37

Hope all the haters in Colo, enjoy their cakes. THE SWEET CREAM ICING WILL GO FLOWING DOWN soon enough!?

A gay advocacy group says it has reached a settlement in a discrimination lawsuit it filed against a New Hampshire town that attempted to shut down a group home for people with HIV, AIDS and hepatitis C.